'Ample job opportunities for trained youth'

"Illegal migration to Italy or Japan or joining an extremist organisation was the objective of a majority of youth who failed examinations earlier.

Minister Dullas Alahapperuma

"This situation has been changed by the Youth Affairs and Skills Development Ministry and there are ample job opportunities for trained youth in the state and private sectors as well as the foreign job market," said Youth Affairs and Skills Development Minister Dullas Alahapperuma.

The Minister was addressing a batch of 852 Youth Rangers and 12 officers trained by the National Youth Brigade at their passing out parade held at the Uyanwantte Football stadium on Tuesday.

They had completed training at the Akuressa, Galle, Akmeemana, Weeraketiya and Sooriyawewa Youth Brigade training camps.

Minister Alahapperuma said the National Youth Brigade is an example to other institutions of the country and he was proud of it as the Minister-in-Charge.

Training at the Youth Brigade was not a military training. It encompassed leadership qualities, personality development, using mother tongue and training in other two languages, IT, and professional guidance to make a complete personality.

He said "the Youth Rangers were passing out at a time when some western powers were trying to plunge the motherland which had been freed from terrorism to another disaster.

"Therefore they should all be prepared to take the forefront to defend the motherland from all possible dangers," the minister said.